President Bola Tinubu has nominated Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, the immediate past Sole Administrator of Rivers State and former Chief of Naval Staff, as a non-career ambassador.
Other notable nominees include former Senator Ita Enang, former First Lady of Imo State Chioma Ohakim, and Abdulrahman Dambazau, former Minister of Interior and ex-Chief of Army Staff. Their names were not on the earlier list of ambassadorial nominees released by the presidency.
The nominations were communicated to the Senate in a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary on December 4. Akpabio urged the upper chamber to expedite consideration of the nominees to ensure that strategic diplomatic positions are filled without delay.
Following the announcement, the list was referred to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, which has been tasked with conducting screenings and reporting back within one week.
These nominations come shortly after President Tinubu also proposed former presidential aide Reno Omokri, former Minister of Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode, and the immediate past INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu as non-career ambassadors.